After Elder Jiang, who had examined Yan Liqiang when he entered the Sword God Sect, finished speaking, Luqiu Mingyue, who was sitting at the top, nodded slightly, then looked at the other elder who was sitting there with big ears and a flushed face.
"Elder Tu, I heard that Yan Liqiang used to clean the toilets on Tianqiao Peak, and was later promoted by Xiaoai to be an outer sect servant in Tianqiao Hall. Is this true?"
Xiao Ai is Su Xiaoai, the headmaster of Tianqiao Hall. In the entire Jianshen Sect, apart from those present here, probably no one else dares to call the hot-tempered headmaster Su like that.
"It is true!" The big-eared elder Tu narrowed his eyes and looked at Yan Liqiang, with a smile on his face, "Xiao Ai said that although Yan Liqiang was an outer sect disciple, he cleaned the toilets on Tianqiao Peak every day, making them as clean as new. Because they were so clean, the disciples on Tianqiao Peak were embarrassed to go to the toilet at first, fearing that they would dirty the clean toilets. Later, they gradually got used to it and paid attention to it. Because of this, the male disciples on Tianqiao Peak who were originally a bit sloppy became particular about it. Ordinary people can clean the toilets so well. It is not easy to keep such cleanliness for three to five days. However, Xiao Ai observed that although Yan Liqiang is an outer sect disciple and does the dirtiest and most tiring work, he works diligently for hundreds of days, getting up early and working late. Even in the coldest days of winter, he would break ice to get water without any slackness. It is touching. The vinegar used in the various peaks of the Sword God Sect was also made by Yan Liqiang when he was on duty at Tianqiao Peak to clean the toilet. Such a disciple has both character and ability that can be cultivated. Therefore, Xiao Ai promoted Yan Liqiang to an outer sect servant and kept him at Tianqiao Peak to be in charge of the storehouse on Tianqiao Peak!"
"Did Yan Liqiang make any mistakes when he was in charge of the warehouse on Tianqiao Peak?"
"There is nothing wrong. Not only that, when Yan Liqiang was in charge of the warehouse, he reorganized the warehouse accounts and formulated some regulations for the warehouse's incoming and outgoing goods. The management of the entire warehouse is now clear at a glance. Even if someone has never been involved in this job, as long as they follow the regulations, there will be no mistakes!"
Elder Tu was undoubtedly praising himself by saying this. Yan Liqiang felt a little excited inside when he heard these words. He knew that all the efforts he had put in before were not in vain. At the same time, he also felt that the eyes of the elders sitting in the hall were becoming more and more kind when they looked at him. Many of them nodded in agreement. Luqiu Mingyue smiled as she listened.
"I have heard about that vinegar thing these days. Although it is ordinary, it is also very useful!" Luqiu Mingyue looked at Yan Liqiang and asked gently, "I wonder how you came up with the idea of making such a thing?"
"Master, I didn't invent vinegar myself. My grandfather was a traveling doctor. I saw him making this when I was a kid. He soaked some unused vegetable leaves and fruit peels in a jar, added some corn stalk juice, and fermented it for a while before using it for cleaning. My grandfather said that this way the environment is clean and people are less likely to get sick!"
Yan Liqiang's answer fits perfectly with his character background and there is no problem at all.
"What about this? Your painting skills are unique and lifelike. I have traveled all over the world, but I have never seen anyone with such painting skills. Where did you learn this skill from and who taught you?" Luqiu Mingyue said as he took out something, opened it and showed it to Yan Liqiang. That thing was undoubtedly the picture that Yan Liqiang had sent to the Sword God Sect before, which he had "sketched" of the desolate land around the Imperial Capital after the catastrophe.
"I developed this painting skill by myself when I was young. I liked painting when I was young, but no one taught me. At first, I used branches to paint on the ground, and later I used branches, stones and mud to paint on the ground. My grandfather often brought back some herbs. When I saw the herbs, I slowly used lines to paint the leaves, roots and fruits of the herbs on the ground. Over time, after more than ten years, my paintings have become like this. As long as I see it, I can paint it!"
Yan Liqiang's answer was naturally the true situation when he was learning painting and sketching. It was basically a replica of the story of Leonardo da Vinci painting an egg, and there was nothing wrong with it. Yan Liqiang didn't know how to do oriental ink painting before, and he doesn't know how to do it now. He knows that oriental ink painting focuses on the spirit of the painting, while what he is learning is sketching and drawing, which focus on realism. When he sees something, he can use charcoal pencil to draw it like taking a photograph. It is a completely different route from ink painting. Yan Liqiang has always felt that whether it is oriental ink painting or Western oil painting, they are all painting art. It doesn't matter which one is higher or lower, it's just a different style. His original intention of painting was just to learn a skill that can make money.
After hearing what Yan Liqiang said, all the elders present, including Luqiu Mingyue, looked thoughtful, and finally nodded slowly.
"Is this painting the current scene of the Imperial Capital that you see?" Luqiu Mingyue stared at Yan Liqiang's face intently.
Yan Liqiang nodded solemnly, his tone still carrying a trace of sadness that was difficult to conceal. "This is exactly what the Imperial Capital looks like now. On that day, I went with Master Wang Hui from the Sihai Escort Agency to investigate the situation in the Imperial Capital. This is what we saw with our own eyes. At this time, the Imperial Capital no longer existed, and the Siji area was almost reduced to ruins. There were no living people around the entire Imperial Capital, not even a single living blade of grass could be seen!"
"Then why did you decide to go to the Imperial Capital to get some information after experiencing the calamity in Jinling that day?"
"My Sword God Sect is one of the four major sects in the world. The major events that happened in the entire Han Empire and the Imperial Capital are naturally closely related to my sect. Although I am of low status in the sect and my words are not taken seriously, I also know that the sect master and the elders present here are all people who look at the world. The interests and concerns of my Sword God Sect are by no means limited to Laizhou. The heavenly calamity on that day shook the four directions and had a huge impact. Not to mention the Imperial Capital, even Jinling City, which is hundreds of miles away from the Imperial Capital, was almost destroyed. As an eyewitness, I saw the loudest noise coming from the direction of the Imperial Capital that night. The Imperial Capital is the center of the world, and anything that happened there is definitely not a small matter. At that time, there were no other brothers and elders in the sect in Jinling City. As a disciple of the Sword God Sect, it is naturally my duty. Even if it is dangerous, I must find a way to find out the current situation of the Imperial Capital as soon as possible and report it to the sect, so that the sect master and the elders can know about the natural disaster that has occurred in the center of the Han Empire as soon as possible..."
“What a responsibility…” Luqiu Mingyue’s eyes sparkled, and then he sighed, “If all the disciples of my Sword God Sect can be as concerned about the sect and have the courage to take responsibility as you are, my Sword God Sect will become the number one sect in the world in no time. Yan Liqiang, you are good, good, very good…”
Luqiu Mingyue praised Yan Liqiang three times in succession. To the elders who knew Luqiu Mingyue's temper, such praise had not been spoken by the Sword God Sect's leader for decades...
"Thank you for the compliment, Sect Master. As a disciple of the Sword God Sect, this is what I should do! I believe that if there were other brothers and sisters there at the time, they would have done the same as me!"
Yan Liqiang knew very well at this time that the more humble he was, the better the effect of pretending would be!
(End of this chapter)